Danish Smørrebrød Open-Faced Sandwiches
Our geography studies this week were all about northern Europe and the Scandinavian countries. My teens dove into Nordic Mythology and Vikings, and we learned all about the economy and food of these Nordic countries as well. Denmark in particular seems to be pretty well known for serving their Danish Smørrebrød Open-Faced Sandwiches in their local restaurants there for lunch. At first, it may sound simple, especially if you’re thinking of an American sandwich. As it turns out though, a Danish Smørrebrød is a bit more sophisticated than the average sandwich!
What is a danish smørrebrød?
A Danish Smørrebrød is a sandwich typically served on heavily buttered rye bread. It apparently began as a 19th century lunch made for the average workman. They would pack any leftovers they could and later pile them onto a piece of stale rye bread. It has evolved over time into a form of artwork. Now you will find them presented as very carefully constructed and beautifully decorated sandwiches.
How to eat a danish smørrebrød open-faced sandwich?
As we have learned, these open-faced sandwiches are not to be picked up and eaten as finger foods! They are presented in a sophisticated manor, and you’re expected to eat them with a fork and knife. After making them, we realize why that’s necessary, because they are meant to be piled on with toppings and garnishes that will likely not stay in place if picked up to eat. It would make quite a mess!
How to make a danish smørrebrød open-faced sandwich?
The essentials you’ll need for making any smørrebrød:
- Rye Bread
- Soft Butter
- A Protein (fish, meat, or cheese)
- Garnishes
step 1: Choose your bread
Traditionally, you’d want to choose a nice dark, seedy loaf of rye bread. This is what we tried the first time, and although it’s most traditional, what we’ve ended up switching to is a rye cracker that we just prefer to use for this. You can decide what you like best. You can also make your own if you prefer!
Step 2: Spread on the butter
You’ll want to spread a thick layer of butter onto your bread. From everything we have learned, this is a must! The butter is supposed to act as a barrier between your bread and the toppings, to keep the bread from getting soggy! So don’t skimp on the butter!
Step 3: Assemble with a Protein and Garnishes
Now for the toppings! You want to pick one single protein, as in not a cheese and a meat. One or the other. Then pair them with toppings that compliment those flavors. You can also choose to garnish with a dressing of sorts as well. For an example, in one of the recipes I’m sharing, we chose fried eggs as our protein and fig jam as a garnish, along with sesame seeds. For another, we used feta cheese as the protein and topped with cilantro and chopped grapes! This part is supposed to be fun and totally your choice and preferences! The key is to assemble it to look beautiful! It should look like a piece of artwork worth sharing and presenting!
Because of this, this makes a fun dinner party idea! Invite friends over and set out an array of choices of meats and garnishes! Everyone in my family enjoyed putting together and decorating their very own creations! In the recipes I’m sharing, we chose ingredients that will hopefully appeal to children but get creative and you can come up with all kinds of combinations!
There is no wrong way to make Danish Smørrebrød Open-Faced Sandwiches. It is primarily your preference, just like with any sandwich and there are tons of combinations to choose from!
i love to hear from you!
Let me know in the comments below; have you ever tried a Smørrebrød? What is your favorite combination?
Danish Smørrebrød Open-Faced Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 loaf rye bread
- 8 oz. butter softened
Fried Egg Smørrebrød
- 2 fried eggs
- 2 tbsp. fig jam
- sesame seeds
Feta Cheese Smørrebrød
- 2 tbsp. feta cheese
- cilantro
- 3-4 chopped grapes
Cheese and Tomato Smørrebrød
- 3-4 thin slices of mozzarella cheese
- 3-4 thin slices of tomato
- 3-4 spinach leaves
Instructions
- Cut 3 Slices of rye bead and generously spread a thick layer of butter onto all 3.
Fried Egg Smørrebrød
- Top one slice of rye bread with 2 fried eggs. Spread fig jam artistically over top of egg. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top.
Feta Cheese Smørrebrød
- Top the second slice of rye with feta cheese. Garnish with cilantro. Spread chopped grapes over top.
Cheese and Tomato Smørrebrød
- Top last slice of rye b read by lying in an alternating pattern, a leaf of spinach, a slice of mozzarella, then a slice of tomato. Repeat until bread is fully topped.
